Crime, Safety, and the Police

[Dark David]

These recent reports of increased police corruption are very disturbing. I took my one and only trip to TJ on a Sunday night last April 2005, visited Adelitas and neither had nor observed any problems with entering or exiting TJ. I've been thinking about making a few return visits, being single again, but these reports of persistent police shakedowns at the sentri point and unprovoked arrests are giving me pause. I'm thinking that if I need to indulge, it might just be better to stay up here, pay a little extra, and on the off chance that I have to deal with LE, deal with American LE that I know won't go too far and that I know how to handle. It's just starting to sound like TJ isn't worth the hassle and risk if the you know you're gonna have to deal with police shakedowns on virtually every trip.

[One Wing Low]

You can walk along the road's median until you come close to the US border patrol. When you are within eyeshot of the fine US agents, you are safe.

The fucking vendors do it all day, all night, so don't tell me it's illegal.

I think half the force is waiting for you now at the Sentri walk-back borderline! Thursday night (Friday 2 AM actually) there were at least 8 of them there including females. I think they must have put their whole families in police uniforms, I thought I was being searched by a maid! Don't expect any more peaceful walk-backs this year, the big hunt for Viagra is on!

[Conejito]

I think half the force is waiting for you now at the Sentri walk-back borderline! Thursday night (Friday 2 AM actually) there were at least 8 of them there including females. I think they must have put their whole families in police uniforms, I thought I was being searched by a maid! Don't expect any more peaceful walk-backs this year, the big hunt for Viagra is on!

[TJ Bob]

I am attaching a map (with poor quality, sorry) where I try to let you know the sidewalks and streets to avoid, to be careful and the safe to walk.

I will try a better map later.

thanks for the good map. There are two "hot spots" that need to be known. tag-team piggies dressed in red can be seen shaking down Americans at the wall next to bar Z and right around the corner of ninos/alley opposite the side of HK. this seems to be nightimes mainly.

[One Wing Low]

That's the number to call to report crimes and policia abuses.

The damn TJ policia are supposed to focus on fighting crimes and protect the tourists, NOT preying on tourists and protecting crimes.

We all have to do our part to make sure the system works for the common good.

[Traveler X]

I'd have to agree with your map in terms of relative danger. But I've seen people get 'arrested' by police in the big green area of Constitution.

Cops have been kidnapping tourists for as long as I can remember. I stopped going to TJ years ago because of all the shakedowns. What everyone has been reporting recently is nothing new. It's sad being at a friend's party and meeting yet another person who had been to TJ, who was also kidnapped by LE. I encourage people to report crimes, but even as a few policeman are replaced each year for corruption, more corrupt ones fill their place. If other member's posts are accurate, the gang of five at the border crossing are the same as I knew three years ago, only more brazen. I don't know that things have gotten worse, but they've definitely not gotten better.

I am attaching a map (with poor quality, sorry) where I try to let you know the sidewalks and streets to avoid, to be careful and the safe to walk.

I will try a better map later.

[Double]

It is a damn shame when the biggest concern for someone is the police. I have never seen such an out of control group of thugs running wild in any city I have ever travelled to. The Mexican border cities are overrun with corrupt police.

[One Wing Low]

hi gilgamesh,

the charges against those fucking policias are kipdnapping, false imprisonment, threats of bodily harms, extortion, robbery ... under the color of authority, which are very serious crimes.

you guys should not let it slide. if you do, these assholes policias will pull the crimes again on you and others. their abuses will only get worse with victims' submissive attitudes.

you can report the crimes anonymously by calling that number. with more complaints, they will have to do something against those crooked policias. you have the evidences and witnesses, and will be doing your monger bros, as well as the chicas big favors. we all only want to enjoy our lives peacefully without being molested by the drug dealers and the policia thugs.

don't let these dumb policias [CodeWord123] you up your ass then laugh at you like they are a lot smarter...

one wing low, thanks for the advice. i talked to my friends, and they just want to let it rest because they are both married and wives didn't know they went to tj.

[Gilgamesh]

One Wing Low, thanks for the advice. I talked to my friends, and they just want to let it rest because they are both married and wives didn't know they went to TJ. I was in TJ on 1/4 and I walked to get over the fear of last time. I forgot to say that later on the night before we had guy's wearing red on bikes try to "get our attention." Anyways it was a day trip and I walked the safe path that I'd seen on a map on this site. All clear to AB, which I can't wait until it picks back up. On the way back to the border I saw a van and a bunch of activity by the muesium, so I back tracked and took a less safe route. No police encounters, but I think I'll stay away for 6-8 weeks until AB picks up and polica calm down. Good luck and be safe.

[One Wing Low]

they were running in teams of 4 and 5 near the alley. they wrestled down and arrested a guy, handcuffing him on the ground in front of chicago. i ran away from the area fast.

last year, there were a few times i was there at night that the army was brought in in truck loads. these guys were in black uniforms and armed with sub machine guns. they surrounded la zona, closed chicago and other clubs, and searched the people there. they also went into alleys searching for people.

i was surprised at the heavy fire power they brought along on raids. they must have anticipated major gun fight. that was when i beat a hasty retreat. it would be no fun getting thrown into their paddy wagons while they sort out their shit. everytime someone approached me with offers, like massage or whatever, i just walked away fast. i would not even answer them because the undercover policia may become suspicious.

the drug trade will make it too dangerous and will kill off a lot of other wholesome activities, like mongering, in tj.

out in force,

i was down in old t town last night. the police were out in force. they were all over the place. lights flashing, sirens, mask over their faces, and speeding all over from the revolution to the zona norte. they were walking the side walks pulling people over on the revolution.

i had at least 3 different guys offer to sell me drugs, which made me feel very uncomfortable. whenever i hear someone say drugs i pick up my pace to a near jog...........:-), to get the hell out of there.

[Double]

out in force,

i was down in old t town last night. the police were out in force. they were all over the place. lights flashing, sirens, mask over their faces, and speeding all over from the revolution to the zona norte. they were walking the side walks pulling people over on the revolution. the first time that i have seen that. when i saw that guys in the truck with mask over their faces, i jump into a cab and fast.

one of the cab drivers told me that the police are in a tense situation with the narcos and that they have been displaying alot of presence and power. another said that they are out protecting the visitors from the street thugs and to prevent the sale of drugs on the streets. the last cab i took said that they are out robing, pulling people over for bribes. i think that there is truth all the stories.

tijuana is not the same place that it was 10 or even 5 years ago. but the ladies, and still working so i still brave the trip....

i had at least 3 different guys offer to sell me drugs, which made me feel very uncomfortable. whenever i hear someone say drugs i pick up my pace to a near jog...........:-), to get the hell out of there.

[One Wing Low]

and noone would dare put a few holes in your chest...

I have never had any serious problems, but it always cracks me up when someone says you just have to know how to handle yourself, etc.
Even Police Commanders are not safe in T.J.

[Rabo Verde]

I have never had any serious problems, but it always cracks me up when someone says you just have to know how to handle yourself, etc.
Even Police Commanders are not safe in T.J.


Tijuana agents shot, killed while guarding commander

By Anna Cearley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

December 17, 2005

TIJUANA – Two state preventive police agents were gunned down yesterday while guarding the home of the agency's Tijuana commander shortly after he had killed a man in a shootout, Mexican authorities said.

Early yesterday, three cars drove to the home of commander Carlos Gómez Miguel, who was standing outside, according to a news release from the State Attorney General's Office. Shots were fired at Gómez, and he shot back.

Gómez and other state police agents pursued the assailants. About 12:45 a.m., they got in another shootout and pursued a car downtown, where the driver lost control and crashed. When the driver continued shooting at police, Gómez shot and killed him, according to the news release.

The person's identity wasn't available.

Afterward, two agents were sent to guard Gómez's home. Yesterday morning, the agents were ambushed. Juan Hernández Gutiérrez, 30, and Jesús Noe Rosas Zúñiga, 27, were found dead inside their patrol car, according to Mexican authorities.

The state preventive police agency is an intelligence-gathering force that focuses on crime prevention. It operates independently from the state's regular state police force.

Yesterday's shootings were the latest in an unusually high number of assaults over the past three months against members of the state preventive police force.

An officer was shot three times Oct. 5 as he was returning to his Tijuana home, but survived. Another officer escaped injury after being shot at Oct. 26 while traveling by car to Mexicali. Two other officers survived an ambush Nov. 15 in Tijuana.

[Headache]

This is what you do if you get robbed by the Tijuana police. It happened to me 2 years ago.

Report the police crime to the US consulate in Tijuana. The consulate in Tijuana is by the racetrack and $10 by taxi. I don't know their email address. When I was there, many American victims contacted the embassy by email. The Tijuana US consulate has an emergency phone number (google search). There is a consulate lawyer that talks to you if you get thrown in jail anywhere in Baja.

The consulate told me to go there on the day in which they take American victims to the Tijuana Police Internal Affairs department and then to the District Attorny.

At the Internal Affairs, they have pictures of all the police on duty at the time you of the crime. The consulate lawyer helps you fill out a police report there and at the DA. If you have names, police car numbers or badge numbers, it helps.

When I was there, one young American reported the police took his group to a special room to question them, and then to the ATM machine, the DA reported that case as kidnapping.

Please report the crime, eventually they will correct the problem.

[One Wing Low]

damn this sounds serious. you should call 866 tj3 info and complain about those cops. don't get raped up your ass and let the apes go free.

i avoid the tj cops like shit. they drive around in their paddy wagons and seem to enjoy roughing up and arrresting people.

on 12/10/05 at around noon. i took some friends of mine me. they handcuffed me to my friend and started harrassing us about his perscribed meds. they threw us in the back of a truck and took us to a little questioning house. i was asking for the guys name and badge in the back of the truck and he looked nervous. he kept telling me to be quiet, but fuck that. i've been through this before and i want names. my friend was freaking out a bit and asked me to chill. i finlly waited to see what was going to happen. in the booth by rev just under the arch is where they took us. they said we could give them 500.00 or go to jail and pay 1,000.00 i kept saying take me to jail, i've done nothing wrong. my friend and i were there for about a half hour and in short, they took all our money. i had about 285.00 and my friend just over 200.00. as we were leaving i pleaded to the guy to give me back 20.00 so i coulsd at least get a street girl.